Outtakes
by beargirl1393
Summary: A collection of oneshots dealing with A New Take on Harry Potter & A New Life. You don't have to read those to read these, but I highly recommend it. Topics will vary, but there will be Sev/Siri slash among other things. If this offends you, don't read that chapter. Rating's a little high because I'm paranoid.
1. And so

A/N: Forgive me, this is my first attempt at romance. Yes, the title is about as imaginative as I get anymore. Warning: Sev/Siri slash in this chapter. Nothing more explict than a kiss is mentioned, but if that offends you, don't read.

* * *

**And so the lion fell in love with the snake**

Sirius laughed at Severus's snarky comments on the show on the telly. He was visiting Severus, as Alyssa and Remus had gone out on a date, leaving him the option of going out-boring without company, staying in-boring without company, or visiting with Severus after Remus and Alyssa left and Harry was asleep. Surprisingly, the man was easy to talk to, and he had a rather quirky sense of humor that made Sirius roll. Who would have thought the greasy git he had terrorized for years was actually a decent bloke? Not Sirius, but recent events had led to him abandoning his previous perceptions of the Snapes.

After they had freed him from Azkaban and did away with that rat Peter, he had realized that they weren't the evil Dark wizards he had thought they were; Alyssa nearly dying to save Remus had more than proven that. After she had gotten out of the hospital, Sirius had spent more time around both Snapes, a consequence of wanting to be around Remus and Harry, and he realized that they were actually decent people, and he enjoyed spending time with them.

Thinking about Remus made Sirius chuckle, recalling how nervous his friend had been when he debated letting Alyssa know how he felt the first time. Sirius's random laughter made Severus look at him curiously.

"Something wrong Sirius?"

Hearing Severus call him by his name, without the usual venom or loathing that used to suffuse every sentence the man spoke to him, was a testament to how far they had come in a short time.

"No, Severus, there's nothing wrong. I was just thinking of Moony," Sirius explained, still laughing. "You should have seen him the first time Alyssa invited him over here. Spent the rest of the morning pacing in front of the fire; I thought he'd wear a tread in the floor."

Severus laughed, able to picture Remus doing exactly that. "I wasn't here to see what Alyssa did, but I doubt she was any less tense. Those two were blind. How they could be in love with each other and not know that the other returned the sentiment…" Severus trailed off, laughing again. Some of his dark hair fell in his eyes, which caught the light from the fire and made them shine.

Sirius looked back at the show, willing away the uncomfortable thoughts that had been floating around these past three months. Three months since two of his best friends had died, two old enemies had saved their son and him; Harry from the Dursleys and himself from Azkaban. Three months during which the sneaky Slytherins he knew proved that they were as courageous as any Gryffindor and had exposed the inadequacies and scheming of the Headmaster. It still made him furious whenever he thought of what Albus had tried to do.

Recently, though, his thoughts of Severus had changed. He first regarded the man as an enemy, nearly getting hexed to kingdom come when he attempted to 'rescue' Harry in the beginning. Then, he thought of the man as an ally, someone who he could rely on to help best the Headmaster. Then, while they were working together to set up Alyssa and Remus, he began to regard the man as a friend, someone to talk and laugh with, someone who could understand his less than stellar past and help him out when he was confused. Those feelings had begun to grow past friendship this past month. Severus was intelligent, funny, kind, loyal, not to mention those eyes and that hair, especially if he hadn't been working with potions at all…

Sirius shook his head, sending those rather inappropriate thoughts back where they came from. Appreciating that Severus was fun to be around was fine, friends did that. Friends did not admire their friend's physical appearance or what it would be like to feel those thin lips on their own…

Sirius buried his face in his hands. He was attracted to Severus Snape, wanted to date him. Great. It wasn't that he was male; Sirius had long ago realized that he was gay, giving his mother another reason to throw him out. No, he had no idea if Severus had any feelings for him beside friendship, or if the man was even gay. That was one subject that hadn't come up.

"Sirius? Are you ok?" Severus asked, noting his friend's unease.

"Fine," Sirius replied, his head still in his hands, "I just have a headache."

Severus opened his mouth to reply, but the alarm he set to alert him if Harry woke up went off. He stood to go to his son, stopping to summon a potion from his stores. He set it on the table beside Sirius, poking the man to make him look up and take notice of it.

"Headache relief potion," Severus said simply, leaving the room to go to Harry.

Sirius looked between the phial on the table to the door that Severus had just exited. He leaned back in his chair with a groan. Why did the blasted man have to do that; even while he was coming up with a dozen reasons that he would never mention his feelings, Severus supplies him with another several reasons to the contrary. One thought reverberated in his mind as he picked up the potion, rolling the delicate vial in his hands. _How could they be in love with each other and not know the other returned the sentiment?_ It was obvious when Remus and Alyssa were in love; he had picked out his friend's feelings by the end of their first year. Was it as obvious how he felt? He definitely needed to talk to Remus.

Severus was still upstairs, possibly soothing Harry after a nightmare, when the front door opened and shut. Sirius perked up in his chair, thinking that Remus had brought Alyssa back, allowing him to talk to the man briefly before Severus returned. His hopes were dashed when Alyssa entered the sitting room alone, smiling as she headed to the kitchen for tea. She started when she noticed Sirius sitting in one of the chairs by the fire, looking thoroughly dejected.

"Sirius, is something wrong?" she asked, unconsciously echoing her brother's earlier question.

He started to say no, nothing was wrong, but sighed instead. He was so confused, and he didn't want to wait till the next day when he could visit Remus to get everything sorted out. "I'm…confused," he admitted.

"What is confusing?" Alyssa asked, looking at Sirius curiously. He looked, though she would never tell him that, like a lovesick puppy.

"Your brother," he muttered burying his face in his hands and therefore missing the smirk on Alyssa's face at that statement.

_Remus owes me a sickle; I told him Sirius was interested in Sev._ Keeping her thoughts to herself, she asked, "What's confusing about Severus? He is usually so straightforward that I can't think what would confuse you about him."

Sirius looked up, fixing Alyssa with a piercing stare. "If I tell you, will you promise not to say anything, not even to Severus or Remus?"

She nodded, understanding his need for secrecy. It was much the same when she loved Remus and confided in Severus. It was also reminiscent of Severus the day before, confessing his attraction to Sirius.

"I…like Severus," he said, looking at Alyssa uncertainly. She was half muggle after all, and muggles had a harsher view of these things than wizards did.

"Like him as in friends, or like him as in you are hoping for something more?" Alyssa asked, black eyes focused on Sirius even as she heard her brother's steps still outside the door._ Let's hope you hear something that will make you confess your feelings and put the both of you out of your misery._

"The second one," Sirius sighed, despair in his eyes. "I think about him almost all the time; the way he looks, the sound of his voice, the things he says or does. I want him to like me, to like me as much as I like him. I read a book on potions yesterday so I would have something to talk to him about that interests him, and then I nearly lost it when he smiled and complimented me."

"You sound like I felt, and still feel, about Remus," Alyssa said softly, knowing that her brother was still outside the door and likely heard all of Sirius's confession. She heard Severus's soft steps go back upstairs before making slightly more noise as he returned to the sitting room.

He smiled as he greeted his sister, ignoring the knowing look she shot him. Sirius muttered some excuse about needing to be up early the next morning and flooed home, leaving the twins alone.

"Well, what will you do now Sev?" Alyssa asked, fixing her black eyes on her brother's equally dark ones.

For a moment, Severus was silent, still not knowing for certain what to do with this information. He could do nothing, continuing his friendship with Sirius as though nothing happened, but that left him feeling vaguely hollow. A plan slowly formed in his mind as a smile lit up his face.

"I'll prove to him that I feel the same way," Severus said, causing an answering smile to appear on Alyssa's face. "But I'll need your help."

"Of course Sev," she replied easily, wondering exactly what was running through her brother's mind. As he told her, she couldn't prevent her smile turning into a wicked smirk. The dog would never know what hit him.

* * *

The next day flew by for Severus, who was preparing everything for his plan. He was going to let Sirius know that he was falling for him before the night was out. His plan was surprisingly simple. Alyssa would watch Harry while he took Sirius out for dinner, followed by ice skating. Sirius had once confessed that he loved ice skating, so Severus decided to tell him there. If only things would go according to plan.

He decided to tell Sirius at the last minute, to make it seem less suspicious, so after he had made their reservations and picked out his clothes he went to the lab, setting an alarm to alert him an hour before he needed to call on Sirius. Harry was playing with his potions kit with Remus while Alyssa bottled up St. Mungo's latest batch of potions when he entered the lab.

"I'll start the latest batch of Wolfsbane?" he asked, moving to get the required ingredients.

Alyssa nodded, packing the delicate vials for transport by owl.

* * *

Time passed rather quickly, and soon his alarm was going off. "Good luck Sev," Alyssa said as he left to clean up.

He showered, washing away the damage from the fumes and ingredients he worked with, before dressing in an emerald green dress shirt and black dress pants. He used a spell to shine his dragonhide boots, black of course, before he put them on. He also pulled his hair back with a leather tie, remembering that Sirius seemed to like being able to see his eyes.

After saying goodbye to Harry and Alyssa, he apparated away, appearing on the top step of Grimmuald Place. He rang the bell, hearing the dreadful racket from Walburga's portrait and Sirius's curses before silence descended as he was able to close the curtains on the portrait's tirade.

"Sev? What are you doing here?" Sirius asked, confused by the sight of the Potions Master dressed to the nines and standing on his doorstep. _Merlin, but he looks good!_

"I've come to ask you to dinner," Severus said, smiling at the shocked expression quickly covered up. "I have reservations at that new restaurant in Diagon Alley that you mentioned, and perhaps go skating afterwards."

"O-Of course," Sirius said, blushing slightly as he waved Severus in. "I think I need to change though," he added, almost as an afterthought, as he looked at the worn jeans and faded t-shirt he was wearing.

After showing Severus to the sitting room, even though he already knew his way around, Sirius practically flew up the stairs. He quickly showered before putting on black dress pants with a grey shirt, to show off his eyes. He spent several minutes styling his hair, trying to get it to lay just so. Merlin, but he was nervous. He felt like a teenager with his first date. But was this a date? Severus was certainly acting like it was, but that didn't mean anything. He could have just decided at the last minute to go out to eat, and Alyssa probably didn't want to go, so he asked Sirius. Right, that's what happened, sure.

When Sirius was satisfied with how he looked, he went back down to Severus, who was pacing in the sitting room. His eyes swept over Sirius, making him blush, before he suggested they leave for the restaurant. Sirius agreed and took Severus's hand so the latter could apparate them to their destination.

They entered the restaurant, which was elegant yet cozy, and were shown to their table in a secluded area of the establishment. Throughout dinner, Sirius caught Severus looking at him, just a second too long, several times. Each time he blushed, before inwardly cursing himself. _Nothing will come of this. Severus simply didn't want to come here alone, and Alyssa and Remus were probably here before so they declined. That's all._ Even with those thoughts, Sirius couldn't help but hope that he was wrong, and that Severus cared for him. That hope blossomed when Severus paid for the meal, without letting Sirius split the bill.

"I brought you out here," Severus said as they collected their coats, "So it's my treat."

Sirius smiled shyly, and took Severus's hand eagerly. It was only so he could apparate them to the skating rink, but Sirius noticed that Severus held his hand for a few seconds longer than necessary when they landed at their destination. Thoughts of romance flew away after Severus led him inside, letting him at one of the tables while he went to get their skates. It had been too long since he had last been skating, and he really missed it.

Soon Severus came back and they quickly hit the ice. It only took a few lessons from Sirius to get Severus skating like a pro, his natural grace helping him where he lacked experience.

"You're doing really well Sev," Sirius encouraged as they paused for a moment, watching the others skate and occasionally fall.

"How could I not, with such expert instruction," he replied with a smile, which widened at Sirius's blush.

He moved slightly closer, invading Sirius's space just a bit. The other man looks surprised but not unhappy, which gives Severus the courage to say what he's been thinking for several weeks.

"Sirius," he says, his voice suddenly hoarse and mouth suddenly dry.

"Yes Sev?" Sirius asked, striving, and failing, for his normal tone. He winces as he hears the slight squeak at the end.

"There is a reason behind my asking you to join me this evening," Severus said, looking into the grey eyes that have captivated him for so long, "And the reason is not as innocuous as you had probably assumed."

Sirius's eyes widened with surprise and hope flared brightly in his chest. _Is he saying what I think he is?_

Severus answered the unspoken question without words. He leaned in, tilting his head down slightly as Sirius tilted his up to meet his advance. Their lips met in a chaste kiss that quickly became more passionate, hands moving of their own volition. Sirius wrapped his arms around Severus's neck as Severus buried his in Sirius's hair.

Eventually, the need to air forced them to separate, and Severus smirked as he saw the amazement in his companion's eyes. Sirius's answering smile was blinding, and Severus wasted no time in drawing Sirius into another kiss.

Sirius, for his part, was in heaven. Severus wanted him! The man he wanted felt the same way! As Severus kissed him again, he had no way of knowing where this was going. They could go on a date, an official one this time, and realize that they're better as friends, but something in Sirius negates that impression. He wants this, more than he's wanted any of his previous relationships, and it appears that the same went for Severus. He didn't know where this was going, but he was going to enjoy the ride.


	2. Azkaban

**Summary:** Draco wants to visit Azkaban, to see the Malfoys. He wants to know why they didn't love him.

* * *

Remus stares at Draco, wondering if he heard his son right. He had been cooking dinner, Alyssa was doing inventory with Severus, Raven was playing in the living room, and Draco had been reading in his room. Or so he thought. His eight year old son came into the kitchen a few minutes ago, saying he had a question. When Remus asked what it was, he was expecting questions about something Draco had read, or something that had puzzled him at school earlier and he had forgotten to mention it. The last thing he expected was Draco asking if he could go and visit Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy in Azkaban.

"Papa?" Draco asked, wondering why he hadn't answered.

"What did you say?" Remus asked, barely noticing the front door opening as he watched his son.

"I want to go to Azkaban and see Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy," Draco repeated as Alyssa entered the kitchen. He had been referring to Narcissa and Lucius that way for about three years now, though he hadn't told either of his parents why.

"Why would you want to go to Azkaban Dragon?" Alyssa asked, confused, moving over to hug her son and husband before leaning against the counter.

"To visit them," Draco said, his eyes flicking from Alyssa to Remus and back. "I want to know why they didn't love me. I want to know what I did."

"Draco, you did nothing to them," Remus said. They had gone down this road before. Draco never could seem to accept that it wasn't his fault that his parents were cruel. No matter what he and Alyssa said or did, nothing could change his mind.

"I had to do something," Draco insisted stubbornly, "Or they'd still love me, and they wouldn't have hurt me. You've never hurt me, or Raven, and you love us."

"And we love you _unconditionally_," Alyssa said, emphasizing the last word. "Nothing you could do or say would make us stop loving you. It is part of being a parent."

"But I want to know _why_," Draco insisted, "_Why_ didn't _they_ care? _Why_ didn't _they_ want me?_ What happened_?"

Alyssa looked at Remus. _This is, quite possibly, the only way he'll ever get closure._ Alyssa remembered, vividly, talking to her father before she killed him. In between bouts of torture, she asked why. Why did he hurt them, why didn't he love them? She hadn't gotten to ask her mother, but her father's answer was perfectly clear._ Because he could, because we were there and couldn't fight back. Because he didn't give a damn._

"Give your father and me a little while to consider this, alright Dragon?" Alyssa asked, wondering if it would be better for Draco to go and speak to the Malfoys or if it would be better to keep him away.

"Ok Mama," Draco said, leaving the kitchen to go back to his room. He just wanted to know _why_? He remembered being yelled at for not being a proper pureblood, but Mama and Papa didn't care about that. What had he done to make the Malfoys hate him?

"Are you seriously considering this?" Remus asked Alyssa incredulously.

Alyssa sighed. "I don't like this any more than you do Remus, but this is obviously something Draco needs. He knows that we love him and that we always will, yet he doesn't understand why Narcissa and Lucius didn't."

"They're Death Eaters," Remus snarled, turning back to dinner, "They all are incapable of affection." The stillness behind him made him turn around. Alyssa arched one black eyebrow as she lifted her left arm and turned it, palm up, allowing him to see the skull on the underside of that arm. He winced. "I meant…"

She shook her head. "Most of the Dark Lord's followers were heartless bastards," she said her eyes fixed on the mark on her arm, "But some had simply joined out of self-preservation, like Regulus. Some were misinformed, or simply angry at the world, like Severus and I were. By the time we came to, it was too late. Lucius and Narcissa were unfit parents, but they _were_ his parents regardless. He will need the closure wolf." She turned and left the kitchen, going to get Raven cleaned up for dinner.

Remus sighed as he began to set the food on the table. Was Alyssa right? Would it be better to allow Draco to see for himself that nothing he did would ever be enough for the Malfoys? He didn't know, and that bothered him.

* * *

They went to Azkaban the following Saturday. Raven stayed behind, Severus and Sirius were watching her while she played with 'cousin Hawwy'.

The prison was as dank and miserable as Alyssa remembered and she shivered inadvertently, pulling her cloak closer around her and drawing Draco closer. She could see the dementors at the entrance to the prison, though thankfully they were too far away to be affected by their chill. They had orders to wait for a guard to escort them to the Malfoys' cells, so they waited on the dock.

"Mr. Lupin, Mrs. Lupin," a guard called as he approached, "Everything is ready for you. Can either of you conjure a patronus?"

Both nodded. "My wife and I are both able to," Remus said.

"Good," the guard said, gesturing for them to follow him. "I suggest you do so now. We'll be nearby so none of the dementors come too close, but better safe than sorry."

Alyssa and Remus nodded again, drawing their wands and easily casting the spell. Alyssa's wolf trotted to her side, standing beside Draco, while Remus's snake coiled in front of them.

Nothing more was said as they entered the prison. Draco stayed close between his parents, flinching whenever he heard someone scream. The patronuses kept the demetors away from the little party.

Soon, they stopped in front of a room, where the Malfoys had been taken to wait for their visitors. They had been shackled to their chairs, and there were three empty chairs on the other side of a table, waiting for the Lupins.

"I'll wait out here," the guard said as Remus went to open the door, "Give you some privacy. They're bound, but if they try anything shout for me."

Remus nodded his assent before opening the door and entering the room. The sooner they began, the sooner this would be done with and they could leave.

"Filth," Lucius sneered as he saw Remus.

"Pitiful half-blood," was Narcissa's contribution, directed at Alyssa.

"Traitor," both spat, eyeing their son with evident distaste.

"Yes, yes, your insults haven't changed," Alyssa sighed, sitting in one of the chairs. Draco stood beside her for a minute, before moving to sit beside her, with Remus on his other side. "If it were up to me, I wouldn't have done you the small mercy of relieving you of the dementors' presence for even the small amount of time that we will be here, but Draco has questions for you."

"And what makes you think we will answer them?" Lucius asked imperiously.

"Because," Remus said lightly, "You know that as long as you are in here, you are away from the dementors. This is more than likely the only reprieve you will get, so you may as well enjoy it. Cooperating will ensure that you are here, while refusing will simply result in you being sent back to your cells."

Lucius and Narcissa sneered, but said nothing, showing that they saw the truth in Remus' words.

"What does that brat want that is important enough that you would lower yourselves to visit prisoners?" Narcissa asked haughtily.

Alyssa glanced down at Draco, silently assessing how he was doing. He was slightly pale and looked nervous, but otherwise he seemed ok.

"Why didn't you want me?" Draco asked softly, his grey eyes flicking from Lucius to Narcissa.

"Why would we want a pitiful little brat who knows nothing about what being a proper pureblood means?" Lucius asked rhetorically. "You were our heir, a continuation of the Malfoy line."

"That's why?" Draco asked, sounding confused. "Mama and Papa don't care that I'm not a good pureblood. They love me anyway."

"Well, what do you expect from a half-breed and a half-blood?" Narcissa asked.

"They love me un..um…unconditionally," Draco said, stumbling over the word a little. "Why couldn't you do that?"

"We had an image to maintain," Lucius said, unconcerned. "You would not conform to our image. If the half-blood hadn't stepped in, you likely would have become a proper heir soon."

"That's all I was, an heir?" Draco asked.

"Yes," Narcissa said, shrugging. "You are supposed to carry on the Malfoy name."

"I'm a Lupin now," Draco said proudly. "My last name's still Malfoy, but I'm not one."

Remus felt that nothing more would be achieved, so he called for the guard. They were escorted back to the dock and left.

* * *

Draco mulled over his birth parents' answers for a bit, realizing that nothing short of being the perfect pureblood son, following all the rules and regulations of the society, would have made them happy. His adoptive parents loved him regardless, and Draco was happy with that. Alyssa and Remus Lupin had been better parents to him than Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy had ever managed.


	3. Love

_Sorry if the link didn't work the first time. I reposted this chapter, so hopefully it works now._

* * *

**S****ummary:** Remus always knew that Alyssa Snape would be the one for him.

* * *

Remus always knew she would be the one for him.

When he first saw Alyssa Snape, she was standing on Platform 9 ¾ with a boy who shared her ebony hair and eyes and a girl with fiery red hair and green eyes. When he passed the compartment where they were sitting on the train, he learned her name and those of her companions. As he passed to go sit with his new friends James, Sirius, and Peter, he hoped that they would end up Sorted into the same house.

That wasn't meant to be, and he watched sadly from the Gryffindor table as she placed the Hat back on the stool and went to take her place at the Slytherin table. He ignored his new friends' jeers as he watched her clap for her brother, smiling when the ebony-eyed boy took his place beside her. He wanted her to smile at him like that, no matter what James and Sirius said about 'Slytherin scum'.

As his first year at school passed, Remus would watch Alyssa Snape. He watched her in class, where she excelled in Potions and struggled with Transfiguration. Despite her struggles, she had the highest marks in their year, her brother a close second, tied with Lily Evans.

Lily offered to introduce him to Alyssa several times as the years passed and she noticed his growing attraction to the Slytherin witch.

"_It's not like she'll bite your head of Remus," Lily said, laughing. They were in their fifth year, and she was on her way to study Potions with Alyssa and Severus and had invited him along. "Just come and study with us."_

_Remus shook his head. After everything the Marauders had done to the Snapes throughout the years, he didn't feel like he deserved a chance with her._

That feeling multiplied when James and Sirius played two pranks on the Snapes after the charms and defense OWLs were over. Both looked mad enough to spit nails, and he knew at that point that Alyssa would rather hex him than talk to him.

When sixth year came about, he wanted to murder his friends for making him nearly kill the girl he loved and her brother. He was incensed when the Headmaster barely punished them, and worried when Alyssa seemed to fade away after that. She was apathetic and cold, taking no notice of anyone save Severus.

That behavior continued until she left Hogwarts to study abroad for her seventh year, and it continued when she returned at the end of the year for examinations. He worried when he saw her speaking with several Slytherins that he knew were planning on following Voldemort, if they hadn't been Marked already.

After he graduated, Remus did his best to put his feelings for Alyssa behind him. She and her brother had both gotten their Mastery in Potions, and he heard Alyssa was studying for her Care of Magical Creatures Mastery as well. It was also rumored that they both joined Voldemort, but he didn't want to believe it until they showed up at an Order meeting and described the goings on in Voldemort's camp. They were spies, but they were Death Eaters before they turned spy.

When Alyssa came with Severus to pick up Harry after Sirius abducted him, Remus had to bite his tongue to keep from asking her to stay. Two of his friends had just died and their son was being watched over by Alyssa and Severus Snape. He saw and heard of how protective both Snapes were of Harry, and he was pleased.

When Alyssa brought him the Wolfsbane they brewed, he nearly fell over from shock. They shared a civil conversation, and he had to forcibly beat down the hope that was brewing in his chest. She was being civil; it was hardly the beginning to a proposal of marriage.

Regardless of how he tried to tell himself otherwise, he still was holding onto that hope when he flooed over. Seeing her slumped as she was, paler than death, horrified him, and when she flinched his hopes turned to ash.

When she explained herself, he wanted to rip out that miserable muggle's throat and hex both the Headmaster and her mother six ways to Sunday. Considering that both mother and father were dead, he was not able to see vengeance done, although he reveled in the fact that her magic-hating father had been punished before he died.

When he kissed her, it was better than he had ever hoped, and the eleven year old boy who had loved the lonely little witch was shrieking with glee.

When she was bitten by Nagini, he felt as though his world was falling out from under him.

The feeling remained until she was fully restored and back to normal, although she had reassured him countless times that she would be well again. She repeated the same assurances after the attack led by Lucius Malfoy, ignoring the pain in her ribs and his head as they kissed, relieved that they were ok.

When she was kidnapped, he was sent straight back to when she lay nearly on her deathbed because of Nagini's venom. Even finding out that he would become a father wasn't enough to distract his mind from the fact that he might never see Alyssa again.

When she returned, he thanked every Deity he knew for the safe return of his wife and unborn child. Draco Malfoy was a surprise, but he couldn't send the boy back where he was mistreated.

He was overwhelmed by guilt after their first fight (their first but not their last), but she forgave him and he her, and he felt better as she wrapped her arms around him.

When she was taken again (this time partially by her own volition) he wanted to rip his hair out. Fenrir Greyback would not harm his wife and unborn child; Remus would stop him no matter the cost. When he got to her, after the battle, he nearly fell to his knees in relief that both she and their child were unharmed.

He ran around like a headless chicken when her contractions started, trying to get together everything they would need before flooing to the hospital. Every gasp (and later snarl) that left her tore at him, as he hated to see her in pain, but as she said (screamed) it was worth it.

Looking at the small bundle wrapped in purple in his arms, Remus took in the tuft of black hair and the darker blue eyes. They were still the blue-green most babies had when they were born, and he wondered what color they would end up. Alyssa was right, of course, but when he tried to tell her that he got a "_of course I was right, silly wolf, now let me sleep"_, which made him laugh, softly enough to not disturb either of their slumbers.

Watching Alyssa now, working in their small garden in the back of the house, Remus reflected that, to him, time had stood still and left his wife looking as radiant as she had on their wedding day. She would laugh and point out the silver streaks in her black mane, to which he would point to his predominantly grey hair. Her eyesight was as sharp as ever, even though he now needed glasses, and she seemed to be possessed of the same energy that she always had, even after a visit from the grandkids. Those visits often left him exhausted, and he would end up nodding off in his chair, waking only when his wife would levitate him to bed before crawling in beside him.

His bones ached often now, a toll of his transformations, and there were days he could barely make it out of bed. Alyssa would give him massages, Pain Relievers, and force him to take long soaks, which admittedly made him feel better, especially if his pretty witch would join him.

Remus knew he loved her from the moment he saw her, and he knew he would continue loving her for the rest of his life and beyond.

* * *

A/N: I'm considering doing one concerning Alyssa's love for Remus. Thoughts?


	4. Love II

_**Love** **II**_

**Summary:** When she first saw him, she didn't notice anything special. (Or, Alyssa's thoughts about Remus)

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When she first saw him, she didn't notice anything unusual. He was just another first year, the most noticeable thing about him was the tiredness in his eyes. (It would be several months before she connected the full moon the night before with the tiredness in his eyes.) The tiredness didn't take away from the evident excitement he felt about going to Hogwarts.

She learned his name while she was waiting to be Sorted. Remus Lupin. She briefly wondered if they would be in the same House, but when the Hat called out Gryffindor, she knew it wouldn't happen. She and Severus were going into Slytherin, and Gryffindors and Slytherins didn't get along.

She thought, sometimes, that he was watching her. Everywhere from Tranfiguration, where she couldn't seem to grasp the theory, to Potions, where she excelled at both the theoretical and practical aspects. She noticed that he was good in Defense and Transfiguration, and passable in Potions.

Lily was his friend and tried to get her to talk to him several times throughout the years. Alyssa refused, of course, because she knew that Remus would never want to be seen with her. As the years passed, Alyssa noticed that her casual curiosity turned into an attraction towards the boy, but she did nothing.

The way his friends taunted her while he watched, doing nothing to stop them, showed her that there was no chance for them.

Her attraction turned to love, even when she wanted to hate Remus for being party to her humiliation. Hatred she could live with more easily than she could with this hopeless longing.

After the Shrieking Shack incident, she withdrew from everyone except her brother. Apathy was safer and hurt less. She remained that way throughout her Mastery training and upon her return to Hogwarts and subsequent graduation. She tried to pretend to be indifferent, but she was anything but.

Several of her classmates invited her to a Death Eater meeting, and there she found a way to give vent to her frustrations. Her mother was dead, but Tobias Snape was alive and well, and this group promised that she would have her revenge.

She tried not to think about Remus, immersing herself in her duties for the Dark Lord. For a while, neither she nor Severus were made to participate in any raids or torture sessions. Severus was sent to the labs, while Alyssa either assisted him or spoke to Dark creatures about joining the Dark Lord's side.

She barely made it to the bathroom in Spinner's End after her first torture session, and Remus' disapproving face mingled with the muggle woman's screams in her dreams.

When they found out that the Dark Lord was planning on targeting the Potters, Alyssa and Severus went to Dumbledore and offered to spy for him. She may not be their friend anymore, but they still cared about her.

Seeing Remus at the meetings was painful, as she was tormented as she wondered what he thought about her, now that he knew. She was Dark, evil, irredeemable. She hated thinking that Remus would despise her, but was unable to picture anything different.

She saw something in his eyes before she and Harry apparated away, but she didn't stay long enough to discover what it was. She was delusional, nothing more, and there was absolutely no reason to get her hopes up that Remus Lupin would be interested in her.

Lycanthropy or no, he could do better.

When she delivered his Wolfsbane, she could see the shock in his eyes and knew that he wasn't used to her being civil.

She was outwardly calm before Remus was expected to arrive, although inside she was anything but. Remus was momentarily pushed out of her mind while she cast the spell to remove the horcrux from Harry.

When she felt Remus' touch, she automatically flinched. She couldn't help it, but she still berated herself for making him look like a kicked puppy.

She was nervous throughout her explanation, expecting him to never want to even speak to someone so weak. His response, and the repressed anger she could sense that was likely directed to her father, made the small amount of hope she had nurtured over the years to grow.

When he kissed her, it was better than she had ever hoped, and the scarred, self-conscious child who had liked the werewolf cheered.

When they encountered the Dark Lord, she worried for him. The lapse in concentration enabled Nagini to bite her, but she was reassured as she lost consciousness that Remus was safe.

The pain she awoke to was horrible, and she honestly thought that she would die before they could make the potion. Remus would have been disappointed in her if she gave up. She would never get that first date if she died now.

When Malfoy attacked, she worried until the battle was over and he was safe in her arms, kissing her without a thought for her aching ribs or his concussion.

When Malfoy's letter came, she worried again that her family wouldn't be safe. Hearing his plans while in the dungeons increased that worry.

Returning to Remus, she was happy enough that she didn't hex Black for spilling her secret. Draco was an unexpected but not unwelcome addition, and it just confirmed her thought that she was going soft. The overjoyed look on her husband's face as he talked about the baby made her think that that wasn't a bad thing.

Going after Greyback was her way of confronting her out-of-control paranoia and repaying him for the pain he had put Remus through. She actually thought she might faint when Remus faced off against him. They won, thanks to Nyx, and she laughed as she promised not to accept Portkeys from deranged werewolves anymore.

She wished she had a camera when she told Remus that she was in labor, as his expression was priceless. She was in pain, a great deal of pain (although less than the pain from Nagini's bite), and his anxiousness amused and irritated her by turns. She knew that he hated to see her in pain, but as she had said (screamed) it would be worth it.

She got confirmation of that later, when he woke her up. She replied, sleepily, that of course she was right. His quiet laughter sent her back to sleep.

Now, she knew, things were slightly different. The lycanthropy was taking its toll on Remus, although neither of them were young anymore. His bones ached often, and her heart would break each time he was unable to get out of bed unaided. It wasn't often, but she worried.

She had no delusions about the grey in her hair, or the wrinkles on her face, but to Remus she was always beautiful. She knew he was self-conscious of his own greying hair and fading eyesight, but she saw no reason for that. He was Remus, and that was more than enough for her (although she would rather take another bout of the Cruciartus than admit that).

She loved to take care of him, snuggling up with him after a visit from their grandkids or slipping into the tub with him after a particularly bad full moon.

She had never expected to love Remus Lupin, but she knew now that she always would.

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_A/N: If anyone has an idea for a oneshot from either of the stories in this series, review or pm me and I'll try to write it._


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